Palidusdream Golden Retrievers
Hand-raised Golden Retriever Puppies.
Moray/Aberdeenshire. Scotland.
Question and Answers
Common questions we have been asked through the years. Please feel free to send more questions to me at Palidusdreamgoldens@outlook.com
Why are you no longer a KC Assured Breeder?
KC stopped the Assured Breeder Scheme in 2024. They have brought in health Standards instead. All of our mamas and stud dogs will have the maximum health standards required.
Why do you not have a licence?
We do not breed enough for it to be an issue. In Scotland, you are required to have a licence if you breed more than 3 litters a year.
What does holistically raised puppies mean?
Our dogs are raised on natural foods and are given bones to help maintain dental health. Worm counts are carried out before any worming treatment is given, and flea and tick treatments are only used when necessary. We also use titre testing to monitor vaccination levels rather than automatically revaccinating every year.
This approach gives our puppies the very best start in life. Once your puppy goes home with you, it will be your responsibility to research and decide on the food, worming and flea prevention, and vaccination protocol that you feel is most appropriate for your dog.
We are always available to advise or help in any way.
Do the puppies come lead, potty and crate trained?
No. The socialisation process starts with us, but you need to continue at home.
Getting a puppy is exciting, and understandably, people cannot retain all the verbal information given. Hence, I send you home with a puppy pack that details all the stuff the puppies have done and where to continue with their socialisation. This needs to be read. However boring it may seem. It has valuable information to help with the puppies' next few weeks.
Any issues I have had with puppies and puppy parents have all been down to people not reading the information given.
I live in a flat. Can I have a Golden Retriever?
I require the family to have a directly accessible fenced private garden. That could be a ground floor flat or a house.
We live in London, Can we have a puppy?
To ensure the best start for our puppies, we require a minimum of two to three visits with us, the puppies, and their mum prior to pick-up. For this reason, travel distance should be practical. This requirement is only waived for returning families who have previously had one of our puppies.
Does it matter that I have never had a Golden Retriever before?
Yes, it does.
Golden Retrievers are much more than fluffy puppies or dogs that are simply “good with children.”
Golden Retrievers were bred as gundogs. Regardless of whether they are described as show type, they still retain the strong breed instincts they were developed for.
As a result, they are highly intelligent, energetic dogs who require appropriate mental stimulation, physical exercise, and breed-specific activities to remain calm, balanced, and happy.
Please see our reading and website link page for research on Golden Retrievers.
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Are Golden Retrievers good with children?
If they are trained to be.
Most dogs have the potential to be good with children when they are properly trained and socialised from an early age.
If this is your only reason for choosing a Golden Retriever, I strongly encourage you to research dog breeds further and ensure that all other aspects of the breed are a good fit for your lifestyle.
What Health Tests should I be looking for?
Both puppy parents must have the following health results:
It is not acceptable for either parent to be missing any of these tests. Ensuring both parents are fully health tested supports ethical breeding practices and helps produce healthy puppies.
• Elbows: Ideally 0; 1 at most. EBV below 0
• Hips: Ideally below 12. EBV below 0
• GR-PRA1: Clear
• GR-PRA2: Clear
• Eyes: Unaffected
• Gonioscopy (PLA): Grade 0 or 1 in both eyes
• ICT-A: Negative, or a Carrier bred to a Negative (Carrier × Carrier is un-acceptable). Neither parent should be Affected.
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Do you recommend crate training?
I always recommend that puppies and dogs have their own dedicated space where they can relax, self-regulate, sleep, take time away from children, and feel safe. What this looks like will depend on your individual lifestyle.
Initially, I recommend using a crate with the door left open and a pen, as this is what the puppies will already be familiar with. While with us, they will have begun getting used to short periods with the door closed and spending time on their own; however, this is something you will need to continue gradually once they come home.
Do I have to take my dog to training classes?
If you have never owned a gundog before, this is strongly recommended. While young puppies are often relatively easy to train, adolescence can be challenging, and teenage dogs can be real hooligans.
It is important to establish solid foundations before the teenage phase begins (usually around eight months of age). Ongoing training and support are then essential through adolescence and into maturity, which for some dogs can be up to around three and a half years old.
Do I have to spay/Neuter my dog?
No. However, breeding is not permitted. All puppies are placed with breeding endorsements in place.
Entire dogs can be managed safely if you are confident in doing so. If you are not fully confident managing an entire dog, I recommend considering a hormone-sparing spay or neuter.
Current research suggests that hormone-sparing procedures may be more beneficial for a dog’s long-term health compared to traditional desexing surgery.
Why are you no longer a KC Assured Breeder?
KC stopped the Assured Breeder Scheme in 2024. They have brought in health Standards instead. All of our mamas and stud dogs will have the maximum health standards required.
Why do you not have a licence?
We do not breed enough for it to be an issue. In Scotland, you are required to have a licence if you breed more than 3 litters a year.
What does holistically raised puppies mean?
Our dogs are raised with raw food, They have bones to clean their teeth. They have worm counts to check for worms before treating for worms. They have Flea and tick treatment only when needed. They have titre tests to check for vaccination levels rather than new vaccinations every year.
If all this is new to you. I suggest reading The Forever Dog by Becker & Habib and Theholisticvet.co.uk
Do the puppies come lead, potty and crate trained?
No. The socialisation process starts with us, but you need to continue at home.
Getting a puppy is exciting, and understandably, people cannot retain all the verbal information given. Hence, I send you home with a puppy pack that details all the stuff the puppies have done and where to continue with their socialisation. This needs to be read. However boring it may seem. It has valuable information to help with the puppies' next few weeks.
Any issues I have had with puppies and puppy parents have all been down to people not reading the information given.
Why are you no longer a KC Assured Breeder?
KC stopped the Assured Breeder Scheme in 2024. They have brought in health Standards instead. All of our mamas and stud dogs will have the maximum health standards required.
Why do you not have a licence?
We do not breed enough for it to be an issue. In Scotland, you are required to have a licence if you breed more than 3 litters a year.
What does holistically raised puppies mean?
Our dogs are raised with raw food, They have bones to clean their teeth. They have worm counts to check for worms before treating for worms. They have Flea and tick treatment only when needed. They have titre tests to check for vaccination levels rather than new vaccinations every year.
If all this is new to you. I suggest reading The Forever Dog by Becker & Habib and Theholisticvet.co.uk
Do the puppies come lead, potty and crate trained?
No. The socialisation process starts with us, but you need to continue at home.
Getting a puppy is exciting, and understandably, people cannot retain all the verbal information given. Hence, I send you home with a puppy pack that details all the stuff the puppies have done and where to continue with their socialisation. This needs to be read. However boring it may seem. It has valuable information to help with the puppies' next few weeks.
Any issues I have had with puppies and puppy parents have all been down to people not reading the information given.
Why are you no longer a KC Assured Breeder?
KC stopped the Assured Breeder Scheme in 2024. They have brought in health Standards instead. All of our mamas and stud dogs will have the maximum health standards required.
Why do you not have a licence?
We do not breed enough for it to be an issue. In Scotland, you are required to have a licence if you breed more than 3 litters a year.
What does holistically raised puppies mean?
Our dogs are raised with raw food, They have bones to clean their teeth. They have worm counts to check for worms before treating for worms. They have Flea and tick treatment only when needed. They have titre tests to check for vaccination levels rather than new vaccinations every year.
If all this is new to you. I suggest reading The Forever Dog by Becker & Habib and Theholisticvet.co.uk
Do the puppies come lead, potty and crate trained?
No. The socialisation process starts with us, but you need to continue at home.
Getting a puppy is exciting, and understandably, people cannot retain all the verbal information given. Hence, I send you home with a puppy pack that details all the stuff the puppies have done and where to continue with their socialisation. This needs to be read. However boring it may seem. It has valuable information to help with the puppies' next few weeks.
Any issues I have had with puppies and puppy parents have all been down to people not reading the information given.